Lake Okeechobee algae bloom spreading

Appeared after heavy rains prompted pumping

An algae bloom spreading across Lake Okeechobee is raising concerns about pollution leftover from emergency pumping and worries that the outbreak could eventually spread to the coast.

Blue-green algae blooms fueled by water pollution can kill fish and other marine life. They can also turn toxic, making waterways unsafe for fishing and swimming.

Last summer, an algae bloom that started on Lake Okeechobee spread through lake water draining to the east coast — fueling a toxic, green ooze that fouled waters near Stuart.

The lake’s latest algae bloom, first spotted during a state flyover on July 12, has reached from areas near Moore Haven on the west side to Pahokee on the east.

It emerged after state officials from June 24 to July 5 pumped more than 9 billion gallons of potentially polluted water into the lake to lessen South Florida flooding threats.

That water carried fertilizers, pesticides and other pollutants that washed off farms and urban areas into the lake, which already collects pollution draining from Central Florida.

“We just put a whole bunch of nutrientrich water into the lake,” said Audubon Florida scientist Paul Gray, who monitors the health of the lake for the environmental organization. “That stuff is feeding the algae bloom.”

The South Florida Water Management District disputes that emergency pumping to help reduce flooding risks south of the lake is to blame for the algae bloom.

More water and pollution drains into the lake from the north than during the limited emergency pumping this summer, according to the district.

Water samples taken from the algae bloom on July 18 and 24 showed it hadn’t

SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT/COURTESY The latest algae bloom has reached from areas near Moore Haven to Pahokee.